Flagpole

ABSTRACT

A FLAGPOLE IN WHICH A FLAG-CARRYING POLE SECTION IS REVERSIBLY MOUNTED ON A BASE POLE SECTION, AND THE FLAG IS ATTACHED TO ONE END OF THE FLAG-CARRYING POLE SECTION, SO THAT WITH THE FLAG-CARRYING POLE SECTION MOUNTED IN ONE POSITION THE FLAG FLIES AT TOP MAST AND WITH THE FLAG-CARRYING POLE SECTION MOUNTED IN ANOTHER POSITION THE FLAG FLIES AT HALF-MAST. IN A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT THE FLAG-CARRYING POLE SECTION IS ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO THE BASE POLE SECTION.

United States Patent 1,020,396 3/191-2 Blank 116/173 1,134,002 3/1915 Olstad.. 116/173 1,254,524 1/1918 Mink 116/173 2,527,357 10/1950 Donahey. 116/173 2,853,046 9/1958 Meade 116/173 Primary ExaminerLouis .1. Capozi Attorney-Settle and OItman ABSTRACT: A flagpole in which a flag-carrying pole section is reversibly mounted on a base pole section, and the flag is attached to one end of the flag-carrying pole section, so that with the flag-carrying pole section mounted in one position the flag flies at top mast and with the flag-carrying pole section mounted in another position the flag flies at half-mast. In a preferred embodiment the flag-carrying pole section is rotatable relative to the base pole section.

PATENTEU JUN28 I971 m T N E V m JUDSON O. MILLER FIG. 2

FLAGPOLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Flagpoles for home use ordinarily have no means for flying the flag at half-mast. Larger flagpoles have the familiar ropes for raising or lowering the flag, but it is believed that a ropeless flagpole would be more convenient and less expensive for home use. v

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a ropeless flagpole with means for flying a flag both at a fully raised position and at a half-mast position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flagpole constructed such that a top section of the flagpole may be mounted on a base section of the flagpole in one position to fly the flag at top mast and in a reversed position to fly the flag at half-mast.

A further object of the invention is to mount a top flagpole I section on a base flagpole section such that the top flagpole section is both rotatable and reversible end for end.

Among the other objects of the invention are to provide a flagpole which is light in weight, which is small enough to be suitable for home use and yet afl'ords both top mast and halfmast positions for a flag, and which may be constructed economically.

Other objects of this invention will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a flagpole in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 with portions of the upper flagpole section being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing rotationally changed positions of a flag to illustrate the rotation of the upper section of the flagpole;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, showing the upper section of the flagpole reversed relative to FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the flagpole with the upper section in a reversed position and a flag flying at half-mast.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

As shown on the drawings:

The flagpole of the invention consists of two pole sections; namely, a base pole section and a flag-carrying pole section 12. The base pole section 10 as shown on the drawings is a tube having a lower and ground mounting end 14 which is received in a socket or receptacle 16 mounted in a concrete base 18 in the ground. The upper end of base pole section 10 is hollow and has a shoulder 20 on the interior thereof on which a thrust bearing 22 is mounted. Inside the upper end 15 of the base pole section 10, a radial bearing 24 is mounted.

A pin 26 is mounted at the upper end of the base pole section 10 and projects axially from the base pole section. The pin 26 has a reduced section 28 which extends through and is attached to the inner race of the bearing 24 by means of a collar 30. The lower tip 32 of the pin 26 is reduced still further and is affixed to the upper race of the thrust bearing 22. Reduced pin section 28 has a shoulder at 34 which rests on the upper race of thrust bearing 22 and another shoulder 36 which rests on the inner race of radial bearing 24. A cap 38 closes the top end 15 of the base pole section 10, and the pin 26 projects through this cap a sufficient clearance to allow the pin 26 to rotate freely in the bearings 22 and 24. The upper end 40 of the pin 26 is larger in diameter than pin section 28 but smaller in diameter than the upper end 15 of base pole section 10.

The flag-carrying pole section 12, which is the upper section of the flagpole, has tubular portions 42 and 44 at both ends thereof and may be tubular throughout if desired. The tubular sections 42 and 44 are both dimensioned to fit snugly on the upper end 40 of pin 26 as shown particularly in FIG. 2. Although end portions 42 and 44 of tube section 12 fit closely on pin 26, these end portions are detachable from the pin 26 to permit the flag-carrying pole section 12 to be reversed.

Flag-mounting means in the form of eyebolts 46 and 48 are affixed to the flag-carrying pole section 12 near the end portion 44 thereof. A flag 50 is secured as by tying to the eyebolts 46 and 48.

Referring to FIG. 2, the flag-carrying pole section 12 is shown with the end portion 42 mounted on the pin 26 and the end portion 44 at the top of the flagpole. This is the position of the flag-carrying pole section for flying the flag 50 at topmast. An ornament, such as the ball ornament 52, may be provided, and the ornament 52 has a pin portion 54 which fits detachably in the end portion 44 of pole section 12.

The flag-carrying pole section 12 as viewed in FIG. 2 may be lifted off the pin 40, reversed end for end, and remounted on the pin 40 with the other end portion 44 fitting on the pin 26 in the manner shown in FIG. 4. This brings the flag 50 to a lowered position which is approximately at half-mast as shown in FIG. 5. Of course, the ornament 52 is removed from end portion 44 and reinserted in end portion 42. The base pole section 10 is short enough to allow a person to reach the flagcarrying pole section 12 in order to accomplish the reversal just described.

In both positions of the flag-carrying pole section 12, this pole section is rotatable relative to the base pole section 10, as previously mentioned. This rotation is facilitated by the bearings 22 and 24. This means that the flag 50 can swing around in the manner illustrated schematically in FIG. 3 through a full 360 of rotation so that as the wind blows from different directions, the flag follows the wind much like a wind sock.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the invention provides a flagpole having a reversible top section to facilitate flying a flag at topmast or at half-mast. In a preferred embodiment, the top section of the flagpole is also rotatable to allow the flag to follow the wind and thus minimize the chance of fouling of the flag. The reversible mounting of the top section of the flagpole is facilitated by a pin on which upper and lower ends of the top pole sections fit, and the pin is preferably mounted in bearings to allow for rotation of the top pole section.

I claim:

l. A flagpole with a reversible top section, said flagpole comprising a base pole having a ground mounting end and a pole-receiving end, a pin at said pole-receiving end of said base pole and projecting axially from said pole-receiving end, a flag'carrying pole having first and second tubular ends both dimensioned to mount detachably on said pin so that said flagcarrying pole may be supported in an upright position with either of said first and second ends mounted detachably on said pin, whereby said flag-carrying pole is reversible, flagmounting means affixed to said flag-carrying pole adjacent said first end of said flag-carrying pole to which a flag may be attached, whereby the flag may be flown at topmast when said second end is mounted on said pin and at half-mast when said first end is mounted on said pin, and bearing means mounted in said pole-receiving end of said base pole, said pin being mounted in said bearing means and rotatable relative to said base pole to thereby allow rotation of said flag-carrying pole when mounted on said pin.

2. The flagpole as claimed in claim 1 in which said bearing means includes a thrust bearing and a radial bearing.

3. The flagpole as claimed in claim 2 in which said polereceiving end of said base pole ishollow and said thrust bearing and said radial bearing are mounted in the hollow interior thereof.

4. A flagpole with a rotating and reversible top section, said flagpole comprising a ground mounting pole having a lower end and an upper end, pin means rotatably connected to said upper end of said ground mounting pole and rotatable relative to said ground mounting pole, said pin means projecting axially from said upper end of said ground mounting pole, bearing means for said pin in said ground mounting pole, a flagcarrying pole having first and second mounting ends both constructed to mount detachably on said pin for supporting said flag-carrying pole in an upright position with either one of said first and second ends mounted on said pin, whereby said fiagcarrying pole is reversible, and flag-mounting means affixed to 

